


Scars

by Zed_Zalias



Series: The Beast Tamer [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, Alternate Universe - Monster Hunters, Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Brothels, Depression, Drug Abuse, Drug Use, Gen, I swear not enough people ship this, Looooots of gayness be warned, M/M, Monster Hunters, Monsters, Murder, Not like Pokemon but like actual monsters, Organized Crime, Panic Attacks, Some ships/characters aren't tagged because their secrecy is a plot device fyi, Tags will be updated, Underage characters are aged up
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-21
Updated: 2017-10-11
Packaged: 2018-11-16 19:37:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11259570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zed_Zalias/pseuds/Zed_Zalias
Summary: When Sun's mom told him to go see the world, she probablydidn'tmean to become tied to a brothel or two, end up in multiple fights that could kill him, get stuck in the crossfire of a gang war, become the center of a drug trafficking scheme and a plot to destroy a city by turning loose monsters beyond human comprehension, or fall in love with a rather dangerous boy with a terribly dark past. Who's nowalsotied into to said drug trafficking scheme and plot to destroy a city. But, then again, Sun has never been one to follow instructions from his mother.The so-called "Queen" of Aether, the largest crime organization in Alola, is clearly planning something big - But not if Kukui's Beast Hunters have anything to say about it!Fortunately, Sun arrived just in time to become part of the festivities.





	1. Prologue - Original Sin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've written a lot of Pokémon fanfiction, but it's all been on Tumblr and as a result has been mostly one-shots. Actually, I run the rp blog beautiful-lusamine on there if anyone's interested. Point is, my experience with multi-chapter fics is not at all Pokémon related, so you'll have to bear with me. I'm aware that at first glance this seems like a stupid AU that doesn't really know what it's doing, but I urge you to give it a chance.
> 
> _For Julia - You have encouraged me to write for as long as I have known you, and I cannot thank you enough for that. You have always accepted me for who I am when others have turned me away, and I owe you debts that I cannot repay._

  _I shall smash all of my previous idols. I have learned and begun to understand that staring at the figures in the spotlight for too long can render one blind, deaf, and unable to speak. It is much better to make an idol out of someone else in the crowd. Average, but far more compassionate than those who have had everything handed to them. Don't worship them - Everyone else in the crowd will do so forever, no matter what you say. Instead, find another confused soul in the crowd, and worship one another._

* * *

Gladion's hand moved in front of him seemingly by itself, propelled only by its desire to never pull the trigger on a gun aimed at another human being. It pulled down on the door handle slowly, pushing forward into the Boss's office.

He couldn't quite see - His head was swimming, his vision was unfocused and blurry, and he was more than a little dizzy. Somehow, as if another being had taken control of his limp body, he was able to drag himself into the tiny room. 

The bookshelves along the walls looked the same. They always looked the same, and Gladion figured it was because the Boss never read any of them. At the back of the room was a small desk that hadn't originally belonged to the Boss - Not that anything he owned had. It was much too fancy for the Boss's tastes, but the man wasn't the type to buy something if there was a free alternative. The Boss sat on his cushy chair that looked to have come from an expensive dining room set, eyeing Gladion inquisitively.

Gladion kicked the door shut behind him gently, stepping forwards - Closer to one of the most powerful people in Alola.

"Boss," He started, his consonants clipped and his tone cold.

"Gladion!" Exclaimed Guzma, eyes lighting up and mouth twisting into a mischievous grin. "What can I do for ya? Already lookin' for another job?"

Gladion would have laughed if his reason for coming to see Guzma - For being a part of Team Skull at all, in fact - Weren't so unpleasant. The most he could manage was a slight turn of his lips.

"I'm afraid I have to request the termination of my Tie." Gladion's voice was small, but with an edge of confidence to it.

Guzma nodded. "Figured that'd happen soon enough. Lemme ask ya something, Gladion. You a traitor?"

Of  _course_ he played that card.  _Fuck's sake, he always does this,_ Thought Gladion.

"No. Not a traitor. I merely think that - "

"Well, Jesus, then I don't see any reason why you'd be aski - " Guzma started to interrupt, but Gladion continued speaking.

" - My time here is at an end. While it definitely was necessary for a time, this chapter in my life is certainly over."

Guzma snorted and then leaned forward. "Gladion," He said, suddenly serious. "I care about ya. We all do. So you gotta ask yourself - What the fuck're you gonna do when you leave?"

Gladion bit his lip. "That... Admittedly is a problem, yes. This is all I've ever known, aside from being my mother's ornament. But... It doesn't matter, I'll find something."

"Shame what happened to her... Losing parents is never easy on children." Guzma looked to the side. "I think it's great that ya want to do somethin' else, Gladion, I really do. But... The simple fact is, ya took an oath. And while I'd be willin' to forget that you did so, I also took an oath. To protect my own. And, as far as I can tell, you are one of the Family. I can't let ya go out on your own."

"One of the Family," Gladion repeated. "Funny then, how almost no one here gave a shit about me. I was always an outsider. They always thought I didn't belong."

Guzma shushed him. "I know. And Plumes and I gave them shit for it every chance we got. They just... Didn't understand what you... Went through. I only understood it because I was there and saw it with my own eyes."

Gladion shrugged. "Whatever. Anyways, why the traitor thing?"

Guzma gave a weak smile. "Because I don't want you to leave."

Gladion chuckled. "Right. Well... I - Thank you. Thank you for everything you've done for me. But... Things have started changing around here, and I'm not... Particularly fond of my... Ahem,  _job._ I keep having to buy new clothes because the old ones get bloody."

There was a moment of silence.

"Fuck's sake, Gladion, be careful. It's a jungle out there."

Gladion nodded, running a hand through his hair. "I will. Goodbye, Guzma."

"Bye, Little Dude."

Gladion smiled at the nickname Guzma had given him when he'd been forced to join Team Skull by the rather...  _Unfortunate_ turn his life had taken. He nodded once more, and with that, he was gone.

 

* * *

 

 

As he was leaving the place for the last time, he was stopped in the hallway by a familiar young woman. She punched his shoulder playfully and offered a smile, but seemed sad.

"Hey there, Big Shot. How are you doing...?" Plumeria said, looking at the floor.

"Um... I'm... Good... Ahem, I'm leaving."

Plumeria just nodded. "I know. I saw it coming."

Gladion raised an eyebrow. "How?"

Plumeria feigned annoyance. "I've  _told_ you, bud. Big sisters  _always_ know. And you can shut your mouth, because you've already shown me your birth certificate once and, frankly, I don't need to see it again. I just... Biological bonds aren't the only important ones, you know?"

Gladion sighed - He would miss her... A lot. "Yeah, I know."

Plumeria placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, I know you were kind of... Ignored around here. And I'm sorry they were like that. But we didn't think you were weird or anything, Guz and I. You were our special little Enforcer. You were _special_. You  _are_ special. More than... More than anyone else here. Don't ever forget that, okay?"

"Yeah... I certainly won't forget  _you."_

"I'm serious, Gladion! Remembering that you're... That you deserve better than what life dealt you is more important than remembering me."

"Right. Whatever."

Plumeria sighed. "Please, Big Shot. Remember that. You may not think it's true, but it is."

Gladion acquiesced, nodding solemnly. "Alright."

"Hey," She said, ruffling his hair. "Find some cute boy to kiss, 'kay?"

Gladion went red and smiled. "Pff, yeah, whatever you say."

Plumeria laughed and Gladion saved the sound in his mind, knowing he may not ever hear it again.

"You're cute. _God,_ I'll miss you."

"Me too..."

Plumeria actually hugged him - Which was very surprising, but not unwelcome. Gladion squeezed back. When he pulled away, Plumeria's eyes were wet, and his were more than a little shiny.

"Bye-bye. Visit soon. Good luck." She said, wiping her face and sniffling.

"Yeah... Best of luck to you, too.  _Auf wiedersehen."_

Gladion walked out with his backpack, full of his very few belongings, before she could see him crying.

 


	2. Chapter 1 - Sun in the City

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long, I've been busy and as I'm sure you know, exposition is boring and hard to write... :P It may seem like nothing important happens here, but perhaps if you look closer... ;)

_  
"The course of true love never did run smooth..._

_I_ _'ll follow thee and make a heaven of hell, To die upon the hand I love so well."_

_-William Shakespeare_

 

* * *

 

 

The city of Alola had a way of swallowing people up.

Narrow, dark alleyways; twisting streets; confusing layout; poor lighting at night; long-abandoned stores; a few empty warehouses; and a small police force that seemed to only be present in the city's central locations of interest.

It was a playground for Devils - A place where one could disappear, bend others' perceptions of themself, sweep all manner of icnriminating materials under the rug so that they would never see the light of day. There were young, innocent,  _naïve_ individuals spread all throughout the urban environment, and, whether you wanted to con someone, murder someone, or rape someone - The city provided.

It was a haunted house for Angels - Few friendly faces willing to give directions or advice, a government riddled with corruption, genuinely kind-hearted police officers... If you could find one that wasn't busy, that is. Most threatening to Angels was their appeal - The allure of innocence. Were you a wealthy heir who hadn't seen the real world yet? You would certainly be conned, and your fortune would be stolen from you. A young, overly trusting, helplessly romantic virgin? You would be raped. One who follows the crowd and has an addictive personality? You'd either become addicted to gambling after some strange people invited you out to a Casino and promised to pay for you to play a few games of Slots or Poker, after being hired by the very same Casino to bring in a 'Softie,' as they called them... Or you'd end up at a party, someone would slip you something highly addictive and incredibly potent, and you would be forced to forever pay them for it, lest you die of withdrawal... If, that is, you hadn't already been killed by the first dose. They often had a tendency to overdo it.

The Devils only had one purpose, one desire, and it was to prey upon the Angels. They gained trust, sometimes even love, and then they cut off their wings and left them for dead.

It was the only thing that brought them pleasure.

And, sometimes, the pleasure was so shockingly powerful that it overflowed, spilling over the sides, and the last shreds of sanity that the Devils had either preserved or  _pretended_ to preserve was destroyed. It normally ended in suicide, murder, or both.

 

* * *

 

 

The city of Alola had a way of swallowing people up - For some, it was a blessing; for others, a curse.

Alola had swallowed Sun.

His mother had sent him here when staying in Kanto City had become too risky. She wanted to move here, but so many Kantonese migrants were coming in that there weren't many good jobs left. She was staying back home until she found one. She had insisted, however, that Sun leave without her, and get out of the death trap that was Kanto as soon as was humanly possible. She'd sent him with enough money to keep him in a hotel for about a week while he found a job - It would be easy for someone as young and able-bodied as him, she'd told him.

Kanto had been a clean, well-taken-care-of city. As it had begun to decline, it had at least done so slowly, and Sun had picked up on the subtleties of staying alive in the city that had become little more than an arena for gang wars. Alola, however, was uncharted territory - Not only did Sun have no idea where anything was, he also didn't know how to avoid the Devils. If they wanted him and were smart enough to deceive him, he'd be theirs.

Sun was 22 years old... He'd only just finished college, and now he was completely,  _utterly_ lost in a city he had zero acquaintances in.

The panic attack had set in quickly. When he'd realized he had no idea where he was, he was able to keep his mind in check with a few simple breathing exercises. However, when looked around and noticed just how  _terrifying_ the part of the city he'd ended up in was, the familiar fuzziness in the back of his mind began to eat him alive.

He tried walking forwards in the same direction, gritting his teeth, clenching his fists... But soon he was feeling lightheaded and out of breath. He didn't want to stand still in this awful place, but he had no choice. He slumped against the nearest wall, gasping for air as he shut his eyes. He tried to imagine he was back home before things had gone bad, but the insufferable stench of cigarettes, sewage, and urine made that difficult. 

His mind was buzzing with worry. He thought he was at the end of the road. He thought it'd be much easier to just lay down, to just  _let_ someone kill him, for this to all just  _end,_ than it would be for him to keep going.

"Are you okay?" The voice was soft, gentle, and concerned.

Sun opened his eyes slowly, wary of an attack.

In front of him was a tall, skinny boy with long blond hair, glittering emerald-green eyes, relatively broad shoulders, and a kind face. He didn't look much older than Sun.

Sun swallowed, his mouth dry, as he tried to think of how to respond. On the one hand, he was in a city he didn't know at all... Taking advice from strangers was a risk. There was no telling what kinds of things people in Alola would say to lure in unsuspecting victims. On the other hand, Sun didn't have many choices, and he  _did_ look nice.  _Besides,_ Sun reasoned,  _he's pretty cute._

"Hi... I'm... I just moved here. I'm kinda lost," He said, his voice quavering.

The boy smiled. "Ah. It's... A confusing city, yeah. What are you looking for?"

"Um... I, uh..." Sun wasn't exactly sure he trusted him.

He shook his head. "I'm sorry. If you're in this part of town, you're probably terrified... And when a person you don't know comes up to you and asks you where you're going, I can see how that would be...  _Threatening._ My name is Gladion. I may not look like the most trustworthy person, but at least I don't exactly look  _criminal,_ right?"

"R-Right... Yeah. You don't, I guess. I just need to find a hotel in one of the city's more frequented areas. Like, where I'd be most likely to get hired for something... I want something that isn't too expensive, but I'd be willing to pay a higher price to avoid a dirty hotel."

Gladion laughed. "There are quite a few shitholes in this city that call themselves 'hotels...' And you definitely want to avoid those. I can take you to one that's right in the center of it all, and is pretty well-maintained, but won't leave you penniless. Does that sound good?"

Sun nodded tentatively. "Yeah, thanks... Lead the way."

 

* * *

 

The awful neighborhood was quiet, so Gladion took the opportunity to get to know Sun better.

"Not to make you trust me less, but... You are aware I could have led you to a group of robbers... Or worse... Right?"

Sun bit his lip, walking slowly behind him. "Oh? Yeah, I just thought, you looked nice, and I..."

Gladion nodded. "Yep. They always look nice. And then you... Wake up in an alley with a killer headache and no money."

"You sound like you're speaking from personal experience..."

Gladion shrugged. "Maybe."

"I get your point, but I didn't exactly have any better options besides trusting you..." Said Sun.

"No, I know. In your case, there wasn't much else to do. Just... You seem nice, and I don't want you to end up getting fucked over by some of the awful people in this city, so I want to make sure you know how stupid this was..."

"Wow, now I'm  _really_ worried you're going to turn on me. I've had my fair share of encounters with...  _Shady_ people, and they all seem to enjoy gradually revealing it so they can watch your face while you slowly figure it out."

Gladion snorted. "Look, in Alola, everything criminal happens fast and hard - If I was going to rob you, I would have already done it back there when there was no one around. I wouldn't have led you to the part of the city with more witnesses. You'd be either dead or unconscious by now, if that... Puts you at ease."

Sun laughed. "It shouldn't. But it really does."

"So, where are you from that you've had a few run-ins with shady people?"

"Um... Kanto, actually..."

Gladion stopped walking for a second before resuming at his brisk pace.

"Interesting. How are things with the Rocket Resurgance?"

"Pretty awful. The whole city's crumbling, falling apart. My mom - She's a lawyer, actually - She's trying to get transferred to the Alolan branch of her firm. Or, if she can't get that to happen, she wants to get a new job lined up and sell our house and everything before she meets me here. She... Wanted me out of there right away, though."

"Hm... I hope she's successful. Wait...  _House?"_

"Oh, we... Lived in the suburbs, actually," Sun explained. "But my mom went downtown for work, and I was at her office a lot, and so, well... Both of us experienced plenty of that city."

The blond-haired boy nodded. "So, how old are you, then?"

"Oh! Uh... 22." Sun said, blushing slightly. "I... just finished college this month. That was kind of the only thing keeping me from leaving Kanto. The university I was at somehow  _wasn't_ shitty. Not... Sure how that happened. But it honestly wasn't that bad. It was really challenging, and the campus seemed pretty safe...  _Most of the time."_

"That's cool. Well, you'll be fine getting a job then. I mean... Well, actually, what did you major in?"

"Um... I have a BA degree - Creative Writing Major. That's all."

Gladion shrunk slightly. "Oh, I'm sorry to break this to you, but you're  _fucked._ Unless you can write a bestseller and get it published before your cash runs, out, you're going to have a problem."

"Yep. I know. I've... Sort of got a book I'm working on. It's kind of got a Salem Witch Trial sort of thing, but like... It's fantasy and there actually  _are_ witches in this tiny settlement, rather than just... A bunch of paranoid people."

"That sounds interesting. I'll read it when it comes out."

 _Well, it's **incredibly**_   _gay, so have fun with that,_ Thought Sun with a small smile.

"It'll be a while,  _believe me._ Until then, I'm... Kinda screwed. Maybe I can find some freelance writing jobs online or something?"

"Hopefully," Said Gladion. He seemed sincere.

 

* * *

 

 

When they finally ended up in the central part of the city, Gladion began pointing out landmarks. Sun was much happier now that they had left the dark alleys and crumbling roads of whatever borough they'd been in.

"As you know," He said, pointing at a bustling marketplace. "Alola is an island city. As such, seafood's kind of a big deal. They sell it over there every day. Freshly caught. It's all pretty good, provided you know how to cook."

He led Sun a little bit further before stopping him with a hand on his shoulder. "There - That's where I recommend you stay. Access to all of these shops down here, affordable, and certainly not dirty. There should be vacancies, especially in the middle of April."

He pointed up at a tall beige building that was adjacent to what looked like one of the busiest intersections in the city.

Sun smiled. "Thank you for all of your help. I really appreciate it."

"No problem! It's hard to find friendly strangers here, so be careful... Good luck to you, really."

"Okay, I will. Thanks so much!"

"Oh, one more thing... You can go check in, but I want to buy you a special pastry we make here in Alola. So if you meet me outside this door in about ten minutes..." Gladion trailed off, fiddling with a small black thing in his hand.

Sun wasn't sure if maybe it was a knife, but he honestly didn't care, as long as it wasn't going to be used on him. He decided he'd trust Gladion, even though the whole thing was a little...  _Suspicious._

"Okay!" He said, grinning. "If you insist!"

"Yeah," Affirmed Gladion, grinning. "You've had a tough day, I bet. Hey, I can take your luggage so you don't have to carry it around while you're getting a room. And, I know that sounds suspicious, but... I would have stolen from you already if I was going to. You didn't have a gun or anything, so, I mean... If I'd wanted to..."

Sun bit his lip. "Oh, alright. Fine, take my suitcase. I'll keep my backpack, though... Thanks so much. As much as this smells fishy, I can't argue with your logic."

"Right - So then all I'm walking away with is clothes and shampoo. Seriously, I won't take it. Go get your room." He chuckled as he walked off slowly, going into a café across the street.

Sun went inside the hotel and got himself a room. Gladion was right: It looked well-kept, but at the same time it wasn't so fancy that it would cost Sun a fortune. He went to his room, put his bag down, and went back outside.

Gladion was nowhere in sight.

 _Oh, god **damn**_ _it!_  Sun shouted into his mind. _How could I have been so stupid?_

He started to have another panic attack, shutting his eyes, fisting his hands in his hair. He probably looked crazy. All the noise around him became a cacophonous blur that stabbed his brain like a knife, and it was simply too much for him to handle.

A hand tapped his shoulder. He opened his eyes and was greeted with Gladion's smiling face. "Sorry. Line was long," He said, handing Sun a white box. "It's called a  _Malasada._ It's kind of our signature dessert. It's pretty good. Some people are  _obsessed_ with them. Personally, I just think they're  _pretty good."_

Relief flooded through Sun. He shuddered and sighed, smiling slightly as he accepted the gift. "Thank you very much. I thought you had left for a moment."

Gladion raised an eyebrow. "Well," He said, a slight grin playing on his face. "Since I didn't backstab you  _this_ time, you can now officially trust me forever, I guess. I mean, I could have walked away  _easily."_

Sun nodded. "Yeah. I'll try not to... Give many other people my luggage in future," He giggled. "But I guess you're right? Yeah, now I can trust you for sure."

"Well...  _Good._ If you ever see me on the street again, I'll be the only person you can trust to hold something or give you directions, then!" He said, eyes shimmering.

"Oh - Yeah, that's true!"

"Hey, I never actually... Got your name. In case I see you again, I want to have something to call you other than just  _Person I gave directions to."_

Sun's cheeks turned a rosy pink. "Right. I'm Sun... Nice to meet you, Gladion," He said, grinning like a maniac.

Gladion smiled softly, not nearly as flustered. "You, too. Goodbye!" He said, and with that, he was gone.

"Goodbye..." Whispered Sun.

 _Damn, he's cute!_ He thought.  _It's a shame I probably won't see him again._

Asking for a number had been pointless in Sun's mind - In his experience, the ones he liked always turned out straight.

 

* * *

 

 

 _He didn't do anything weird..._   _Right?_ He wondered that night as he unpacked.

Sun inspected his suitcase and found nothing missing, which was a relief.

Sun tossed everything in it onto the floor, putting things in a few haphazard piles, before turning in for the night.

 


	3. Chapter 2 - Trial 71

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll try to make this the last obnoxious note:  
> I should have said something earlier, but the chapters will always be numbered incorrectly like that. It's just the way it is, there's nothing I can do about it, unfortunately. The Archive has no option for a "Prologue" or "Epilogue" Chapter, and it automatically applies a "Chapter __" title to each chapter, so there will always be two different numbers in the chapter titles for this. Sorry about that! If I could fix it, I would!

****Faba eyed the vial suspiciously. It didn't look much different than 70, but his team had assured him that they had followed his plans when synthesizing it.

70 had been a disaster - In fact, it was one of the worst they'd ever had. Faba, of course, knew it wasn't his fault... Rather, as anyone who was even  _moderately_ intelligent would know, Faba was  _perfect._

However, as smart as the man was, he could not see the future. He merely had to hope that the chemical he created would have the desired effects. 

For each trial, he had written a formula that, logically speaking, would have fixed its predecessors problems. The issue, however, was that each time, a new set of problems arose. They were often worse than the previous chemical's problems. Sometimes, what he had changed didn't fix  _anything,_ and he was left with even more crucial flaws than he'd started with.

It was about Trial 20 when he'd realized that the whole operation was hit-or-miss - There was simply no way to guarantee that the small tweaks he made to the formula would produce the desired results. Before then, his work ethic had been positive, and he had calmly accepted the failures of each iteration of the substance. He then analyzed the individual components, their known reactants, and their density within the compound, and matched this up with the errors of his calculations, to try and determine what was the matter. He had hoped that by the 15th attempt he would have solved the conundrum, and when he didn't, he held on for another five. But when he had performed a whole score of tests, he lost hope.

The real problem was that they weren't exactly working with a substance that had been heavily analyzed. Faba's own tests involving it were the only real studies that existed. Information was sparse, and Faba had to simply rely on his knowledge to make educated guesses, and hope it went well.

Trial 70 had gone about as wrong as it could have. The test subject, a prostitute working in one of the brothels, had disappeared at approximately 7:15 PM the previous night. After she had taken a client, someone had faked a handwritten note from a fictitious man who would be willing to pay  _exorbitantly_ high for the woman to meet her at his apartment for an...  _Appointment._ She'd noticed how strange the request it was, especially coming from a note and not an in-person encounter, and had refused to show up. Since it hadn't worked, Faba and his associates had to try a more...  _Direct_ tactic. She had known that the brothel was attached to the dirty money of Aether, so once Faba had come to her and told her who he worked for, she'd been a lot less hesitant to follow him.

Poor girl thought she was getting transferred to the Heahea establishment and getting a raise... No such luck.

Faba had felt only a little bit bad about drugging her - After all, he'd either done it or ordered someone else to do it almost 69 times before then. She'd vanished, and investigations had begun, but rapidly ended when a large sum of money and a note from Faba reached the Akala District's Police Chief. He had notified the brothel's owner that there was not a single trace of the girl. In a panic, she'd notified Aether, and Faba had calmly responded by sending a courier with flowers and a kind note.

 _I'm terribly sorry, but you know how the Madame is - If she wants something, she will get it, no matter the cost to others,_ It had read.  _I hope you weren't too close._

The chemical had caused her to go insane in seconds. She'd fallen to the floor, beating her own head, screaming  _"It hurts!! It fucking hurts!!!"_ She'd then tried to kill the people in the room with her, and almost smashed the reinforced window by throwing someone else's body at it. Fortunately, though, Faba had turned the knob for the gas before she could pick the other woman up. They'd all been wearing gas masks in case such a measure became necessary to control the test subject, so there were no casualties... Well, except for the subject. They always ended up dying anyway, though, even if it wasn't the serum that killed them. After all, the information was just too sensitive for him to risk it falling into the wrong hands. Faba had calmly taken notes about the chemical's effects from outside the glass.

Faba did many things calmly that others would not have even been able to  _think_ about calmly. He hated when his coworkers talked about him like he was an immoral monster. He didn't lack morals - Rather, what he did had disgusted him profoundly when he'd first been assigned the task. However, a combination of repetition and the knowledge that his boss would fire him if he didn't comply had tempered his repulsion and had made him...  _Slightly_ numb to it all. He wouldn't deny that.

Overall, Trial 70 had been an utter failure, but Faba saw a glimmer of hope in the situation. Yes, she'd lost all semblance of composure and clarity and had apparently been in excruciating pain, but she had also gone from complaining about this in a heap on the floor to lifting up one of the other employees and getting ready to through her through a window almost instantly. Whether she had always been that strong and energetic, or if the serum was beginning to display the desired effects, was unclear to Faba. He sincerely hoped it was the latter. He had decided he would operate under the assumption that it had been caused by the chemical, and use Trial 70 as a base for future tests, hoping to make the effect even more drastic while also eliminating as much of the negative effects as was possible. If he was wrong and it had merely been a fluke, then he would conduct anywhere from 1 to 100 useless tests. He was desperate to be done with the project, though, and it was a risk he was willing to take.

He had grown tired of her pet projects long ago.

While Aether was  _hers,_ and she had the right to do with it whatever she pleased, there was a certain point when Faba drew the line. Her obsession with the UT7UR0-1D chemical had become obnoxious. She'd started using a watered-down version many years ago, but it wasn't until recently that she had become fixated on the idea of using the chemical to create a more...  _Focused_ substance with a specific set of  _effects._ She had proven that it was possible through the analysis of the creature it was derived from, but she had left it up to Faba to figure out how.

He began preparing for Trial 71. The subject had already been acquired for him, so the hard part was already taken care of.

Now came the easy part. He just had to murder an innocent person if the test went wrong.

And, unfortunately for the subject, the odds were  _not_ rigged in their favor.

 

* * *

 

 

The test was an utter failure. The subject's eyes dilated after they were injected, their mouth dropped open, and they stayed still for precisely 33 seconds.

And then, their body crumpled to the floor. They were dead before they hit the ground.

 

* * *

 

 

Faba was in the process of analyzing the shortcomings of his design for the chemical's structure when she came to his office.

She knocked politely on the door.

Faba's heart jumped into his throat. He was by no means a fearful man, but if there was one person he was utterly  _terrified_ of...

He let her in tentatively, the door squeaking loudly as he braced himself.

"Faba,  _great_ to see you!" She exclaimed cheerily, nearly shoving the door into Faba as she waltzed into the room. "What's the status of the Semele Serum?" She began to flip through the journal at his desk.

It was clear to Faba that she'd taken a dose recently enough that she wasn't experiencing the chaotic symptoms of withdrawal, but long enough ago that she was only  _slightly_ psychotic. This was, frankly, a relief. He'd been subject to worse before.

"Well..." He stammered. "I just... Tested another one... Trial 71, this one was. It wasn't  _exactly_ successful. See, this time the subject didn't go insane, bu-"

Her head snapped up and her eyes cut him like sharp glass.

"I want it. I want it,  _right now._ Hook me up!" She shouted, throwing her arms in the air, her words slurred.

 _Oh, maybe I underestimated,_ Thought Faba.  _Maybe she's learned how to_ pretend  _she isn't insane. Well,_ that's _certainly welcome._

"I... It  _killed_ her. It - She was dead within seconds," He explained, putting his hand on her shoulder.

She screamed, backing away and holding her arms up in front of her. "Don't touch me! I feel  _gross!_ This is the wrong body, the wrong species. I need to feel more like  _them._ I need to be  _beautiful._ Don't touch me while I'm  _ugly._ She hadn't been exposed to the Wonder Drug before, and I have. This is just a compound based on it, so  _I'll_ be able to handle it. Faba, _please,_ have  _pity_ on me. I feel so  _disgusting_ and  _wrong..."_

"No, you won't! I saw it. It shut down her brain. It wasn't because her system was overloaded, it was because it was  _lethal._ So  _lethal_ that it would be  _impossible_ to build up a tolerance to it. You would die, too.  _Please,_ I'm doing this to  _help."_

Lusamine punched him in the gut and he keeled over. He'd forgotten how strong she was...

"Ahh!" He exclaimed, clutching his stomach in pain.

"Listen, if you don't give it to me, I will fire you. And I can't have any loose ends with the kind of information  _you've got,_ so, I mean... If I fire you..."

Faba's eyebrows raised. Death threats were uncommon, but not unheard of when it came to her.

For a moment, Faba was incredibly tempted to comply. He shook the thoughts quickly, though. He'd never escape without someone figuring it out. Besides, he really needed the salary...

He sighed. "Alright, fine... Let's go do it in the basement."

 

* * *

 

 

Faba hooked her up to an IV drip and gave her something to calm her down and induce a deep sleep.

He laced it with some of the serum produced for Trial 38, which he'd kept after realizing that it had the effect of inducing short-term memory loss that erased the previous few hours of time from the mind. He had continued to kill the subjects since he still wasn't  _entirely_ sure it worked 100% of the time. Besides, he wanted to keep it as his secret, and if he stopped euthanizing them, Lusamine would begin to ask why.

It was more than a little useful to have a small trick up his sleeve that, if necessary, could save his life when the woman finally decided he had outlived his usefulness.

When she woke, groggy and grumpy, Faba informed her that she had overdosed on the chemical.

She concluded that the best course of action to ease her hangover was to go take another dose.

Faba did not resist.

 

* * *

 

 

At a board meeting the next week, the issue of the Beast Hunters was discussed.

"When they are running around rampant like this, we are threatened. If we proceed with Miss Lusamine's plans, then they will instantly undo all of our hard work," Argued one employee.

"Yes, but it's not worth our resources to pursue them. They have almost as many weapons as we do, and they may one day have more if everyone keeps hiring them," Retorted another.

"No, they must go... It will be hard to get rid of them, of course, but it is absolutely necessary," Countered the purple-haired Assistant President.

"Ah, but it  _isn't!"_ Replied another employee. "With the amount of creatures we're talking about, they would be powerless. They probably wouldn't even  _try_ to fight back, and if they did, they would surely be killed. The key is getting all of them into the city at the same time."

Faba pinched the bridge of his nose. He could sense what was coming.

"Faba!" Exclaimed Lusamine. "I need you to take care of this, if you'd please. Either find a way to make sure we complete the importation quickly enough that they are crushed when they rebel, or find a way that we can easily eliminate them. Whichever you think would be most efficient. Figure something out for both, if you'd like to challenge yourself."

He knew that meant he was expected to solve both problems. If he didn't there would surely be hell to pay.

Wicke smirked and stifled a laugh. He  _hated_ herwith a burning passion. She got everything and all she did was not-so-subtly flirt with the President. If she were out of the picture, he would get to be the Assistant President! He'd probably do the same amount of work - Which was much more than the purple-haired woman, of course - And get paid a much larger salary.

If only...

It was only that night, while laying in bed and thinking of what his life would be like if he was the Assistant President, that he realized it might just be useful to have a serum that killed people within a half a minute.

He quieted that part of his mind - Too many people knew of the serum's effects, and his rivalry with Wicke certainly hadn't gone unnoticed. It would be a very quickly solved murder.

If Aether had approved the use of the chemical to kill someone they wanted dead, however... 

And then Faba figured out how to solve one of his two problems.

 _It might be useful if I can accumulate these sorts of tricks,_ Thought Faba. 

_It might be useful if I could, in essence, become God._

 


End file.
